Big spending on I-522

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a complaint charging that the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) violated the state’s Public Disclosure Act, a citizen-sponsored measure enacted 40 years ago to let the public know who gives, and how much, to campaigns. The GMA set up a special fund through which …

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a complaint charging that the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) violated the state’s Public Disclosure Act, a citizen-sponsored measure enacted 40 years ago to let the public know who gives, and how much, to campaigns. The GMA set up a special fund through which companies could donate money to oppose Initiative 522 without being identified. Thanks to Ferguson’s charge, those companies have been revealed.

On the literature opposing labeling, the GMA is the top contributor to the no campaign, followed by Monsanto, DuPont Pioneer, Dow AgroSciences and Bayer CropScience. We now know that Pepsico, Coca-Cola and Nestle each contributed over $1 million to stifle our right to know, followed by many other companies you’ll recognize: Hershey, General Mills, Kellogg, Oroweat, Sara Lee, Land O’Lakes, Del Monte, Campbell Soup, Hormel and Ocean Spray, for starters.

The GMA hasn’t begun to spend all the money that’s been contributed. So you can expect to see a lot more being spent between now and Nov. 5 in an effort to prevent labeling of genetically engineered food because they know that if it passes in Washington, there’s no stopping it.